Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Postdoctoral researchers, Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions

by J J Cohen

posted on behalf of Stephanie Trigg

ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE HISTORY OF THE EMOTIONS (EUROPE 1100-1800)

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions in collaboration with The University of Western Australia, The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, The University of Sydney and The University of Queensland, seeks to appoint nine exceptional postdoctoral researchers to contribute to research projects in the history of emotions in Europe, c. 1100-1800.

The Centre addresses big questions: to what extent are emotions universal? How, and to what extent, are they culturally conditioned and subject to historical change? What are the causes and consequences of major episodes of mass emotional experiences? How are emotions created and conveyed through the arts? How does Australia’s emotional heritage influence today’s social and cultural patterns?

The Centre draws on advanced research expertise at five nodes in Australia (the universities of Western Australia, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland), plus research partnerships in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. Our approach is strongly interdisciplinary, with researchers spanning the fields of social and cultural history, literature, art history, museology, Latin studies, history of medicine and science, musicology and performance practice.

These prestigious research positions (with additional $16K pa research support) offer an exciting opportunity for innovative and enthusiastic scholars with demonstrated track records in medieval and/or early modern studies and a capacity to engage in interdisciplinary research.

Benefits include 17% superannuation and generous leave provisions. Some relocation allowance for successful applicants will be considered. These and other benefits will be specified in the offer of employment.

The University of Western Australia
• Research Associate (Interpretations and Expressions of Emotion) (Ref: 3449)
For position information go to: https://www.his.admin.uwa.edu.au/jobvacs/external/academic/ads.htm

The University of Adelaide
• Research Fellowship in Medieval or Early Modern Europe, (Position number 16567),
• Research Fellowship in the Emotional History of Law, Government and Society in Britain, 1700-1830, (Position number 16568),
For position information go to: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/jobs/current/

The University of Melbourne
• Research Fellowship in Emotions and Sacred Sites (Position number: 0026069)
• Research Fellowship in Texts describing Emotions (Position number: 0026068)
For position information and to apply online go to: www.hr.unimelb.edu.au/careers

The University of Queensland
• Research Fellowships: Reason and the Passions in English Literature, 1500-1800 (2 positions)
For position information go to: http://www.uq.edu.au/staff/

The University of Sydney
• Postdoctoral Research Associate in Emotions related to Suicidal Impulse (Ref 160/0111)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Emotional Responses to Public Death (Ref 161/0111)
All applications must be submitted via The University of Sydney careers website. Visit sydney.edu.au/positions and search by the reference number for full details

3 comments:

Thanks, Jeffrey. The application dates vary a little according to which university they're at, but they are all around mid-April. The Centre's work is clustered around a number of different projects, and these post-docs will be closely linked to those projects.

My own project is the "Texts Describing Emotions" one at Melbourne. I'll paste in here the central part of the job description (which you can find by going to the unimelb site and searching for that position number):

2. Research Fellowship in Texts describing Emotions (Ref 0026808)The successful candidate will contribute to a project exploring the ways medieval, early modern and modern texts describe and represent emotion, with a special focus on the language used to describe emotional expression on the human face. Though based within the ‘Shaping the Modern’ Program of the Centre of Excellence under the leadership of Professor Stephanie Trigg, this project will also contribute to other programs of the Centre’s work. The project aims to track changes in the literary and textual strategies used to describe the expression of emotion, especially on the human face, leading up to the analysis of the first contacts between European settlers and non-European races, with a particular focus on those contacts in Australia.

Applications are invited from candidates wishing to work on (a) medieval European (not English) texts, ranging from c.1100-c.1500; or (b) early modern European texts, including English texts, ranging from c.1500-c.1800; or (c) encounters between European and Australian Indigenous people. Applicants are invited to submit a proposal for the research they would carry out under this fellowship, bearing in mind the main focus of this program is the textual analysis of the language of emotion.

Applicants will require a PhD in medieval or early modern literary or historical studies or in Australian history or literature, with relevant published research, and demonstrated facility with relevant languages.

I'm happy to answer any queries, about this position, or more generally about the Centre, about conditions in Australia and the other researchers in the project.